Manufacture of sheet-iron



W. D. WOOD.

MANUFAGTURE 0F SHEET IRON. V v No. 252,166. Patented Jan. 10,1882.

furnace, as also 2 5' V be advantageously employed in tinishingsheetto Charles J.

furnace of any suitable UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WV. DEWEES WOOD, OF MGKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

MANUFACTURE OF SHEET-IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent-No. 252,166, dated January 10, 1882.

' I Application filed January 25, 1878. I Y

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, W. DEWEEs Wool), of McKeesport, county of Allegheny, Sta-telot' Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in the Manu'ac' ture of Sheet-Iron,- and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, t'l0tlI,C0ll0lSG, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this S1)t0ifiC-ttl0ll,'lll WlllCllr-llkG letters indicating like parts- Figure 1 is an exterior view,

in perspective, of a steam-superheating and oil vaporizing of, a shect-metal-heating furnace in which my improved process is worked. Figs. 2 and3 are respectively longitudinal and transverse vertical sections of the latter furnace. In sundry patents heretofore granted to me, and more particularly Nos. 137,585 (Reissue No..5,474) and 172,235, I have described the use of carbons, both solid and liquid, in the manufacture of sheet-iron Infurthcr perfecting the process referred to in said patents, I have found that carbon mav iron, not only as a solid 'or liquid, but also as a gas or vapor; and my present improvement chiefly, to the use of carbon in a gasin the process of finishing sheet-iron.

In Fig. 1, A represents in exterior view a construction, adapted to-the superheating of steam and to vaporizing the oil or to converting the oil into a fixed gas; but as I make no claim to such separately considered, I deem it unnecessary to show or explain the same in detail.

One convenient or suitable construction of stcam-superheati n g apparatus to be employed in the furnace A is that referred to-in patent of January ing described in Patent N 0. 132,266, of October 15, 872, to same party; but instead of these decham ber.

ever, a steam-pipe, a, which leads from any suitable steam-generator, for conveying the steam to the superheater in the furnace.

The pipe a, leading from a pump, tank, or other source of supply nnder pressure and provided with a pressure-gage, a ,js the oil-pipe which leads to the vaporizer inside. The commingled steam and carbonaceous vapor or gas are conducted ott' and carried over to the sheetinetal-finishing furnace B by a suitable pipe, I), to which I also apply, by a suitable pipeconnection, a pressure-gage, b..

'eing readily converted by heat into a vapor or gas, using, by preference, petroleum orsuch of the residual products or distillates thereof as contain a considerable percentage of carbon, or the same compounded with tlaxseed or. other oils.

The furnace B is made in oven form with a fire-grate, m, in its lower part, and a stack'or chimney, m. On suitable side walls, d d, I supporta close box or chamber, I); in which the sheet-iron is to be treated. This box or chamber has side and top flues, D, so that the heat evolved from the fire on the grate-bars m, passing through flue-holes d in the side walls, 07, may so surround or encompass the box or chamber 'D as to raise the same and its contents to the desired high degree of temperature. Access is bad to the inside of the box orchainber through a door, D, which is made and prevent the escape of gas or vapor to any dangerous extent.

For, material I employ any suitable hydrocarbon capable of so as to fit closely On rails c inthe bottom of the chamber 1), t

in connection with and out a'car or truck, R...

a track outside, I run in The platform e of this truck is made, by preference, as open-as possible, but so as to support the sheets a which are to be treated. These sheets I place on the car edgewrise, and keep them in that'position and at the proper distance apart by any suitable open-worksuoh as posts and rails e. In this way I secure the action and effect desired over theentire surfaces of the sheets.

The conduit-pipe b enters the box or chamber D at any suitable point, as at n, so as to discharge the comm'ingled superheated steam and'the gas or vapor, or both, into the'box or mered-in packs in the usual An escape-port, to guard against undue pressure, is provided at n or other suitable point; but to prevent all danger of explosion I prefer to connect the vent with a pipe leading outside, as at a. All the pipes referred to are to be provided with suitable cocks or valvesfor regulating the flow or supply. At 1', I have shown a pipe which connects with the pipe at for carrying off the excess or waste.

By the ordinary operation of breaking down and rolling I bring the sheets to about Nos. to 2-2 (more or less) wire-gage. The sheets are sealed in any of the ways known to the art, and are then placed onthe car. The latter is run into the chamber 1), and the door is closed and made tight. The commingled steam and gas or vapor are then turned on, and a vigorous fire kept up below. The sheets remain subject to these agencies until they are brought up to, or about to, a red heat-say from 900 to l,l0() Fahrenheit, more or less-and for a-short time thereafter-say thirty minutes or so, more or less- -aft-er which the gas and steam are turned off, and the sheets are allowed to cool down to below a red heat while still in the chamber, and before being brought into contact with external air. The result of this process is that the sheets are coated with a black or dark film, glaze, or coating, such as is knoivn in the art and generally called a magnetic oxide of iron, with the additionthereto apparently of some carbonaceous elements, the wholeglaze constituting probably a magnetic carburet of iron. They are then (if further reduction is desired) rolled or hamway.

While 1 have made specific description of the car and its supports,-1' do not limit myself absolutely thereto in so far as relates to the mechanical appliances for working the invention, sincein this respect it is only necessary that each sheet be subjected on both faces to the action of the steam and gas or vaporwhile in a close chamber which is externally heated, and to this end the devices may be varied in structure and arrangement at pleasure.

Without limiting myself absolutely to any particular theory of chemical or mechanical action as regards the operation of the steam and the gas or vapor on the iron, I am now of opinion that such operation is substantit lly the same as that described in Patent Np. 172,235, the carbon of the gas or vapor being baked into or onto the surface of the previously-scaled sheet by the steam and exterior heat, while the sheets are inclosed in a close chamber, and protected thereby against 111]- 'rious reoxidation; and so far as regards this t invention, 1 new consider it as an embodiment of my previous invention, ditfcring only to the extent of specially adapting the latter to the use ofcarbons brought to a gaseous or vaporous condition before being brought in contact with the iron, as distinguished from the like use of carbons gasified or vaporized after being applied to the iron.

I claim herein- As a step in the process of finishing sheetiron, subjecting the sheets in a close exteriorlyheated chamber to the action of a hydrocarbon vapor or 'gas and superheated steam, substantially as set forth.

feature of my presen In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

I W. DEWEES WOOD.

Witnesses: I

J. J. MoCoItMIoK, OLAUmus L. PARKER. 

